


Figuring It Out

by mustlovemustypages



Category: Scooby Doo - All Media Types, Scooby Doo Where Are You! (TV 1969)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Gen, Haunted Houses, Intuition, Mysteries, Psychic Abilities, Sixth Sense, Supernatural Elements, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 03:43:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13138362
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mustlovemustypages/pseuds/mustlovemustypages
Summary: There was something in the air that was just... not right.Although this one looked similar to all of the others, it didn'tfeelthe same. Daphne couldn't exactly explain it. Just like she couldn't explain how she'd known there was something off about the innkeeper on their last case or that the missing clue could be found in the attic.She'd simplyknown.





	Figuring It Out

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OzQueen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OzQueen/gifts).



There was something in the air that was just... not right.

The pitch black emptiness that greeted the gang when they opened the front door of the mansion wasn't unusual. Abandoned houses comprised over half of their cases. Cobwebs and forgotten pictures. Furniture that hadn't been used for decades and light switches that rarely worked.

Although this one looked similar to all of the others, it didn't _feel_ the same. Daphne couldn't exactly explain it. Just like she couldn't explain how she'd known there was something off about the innkeeper on their last case or that the missing clue could be found in the attic.

She'd simply _known._

As everyone else trailed inside the mansion, Daphne stayed on the porch, not able to will her body to follow. Velma clicked on a flashlight and walked over to a row of bookcases on the far side of the front room. Scooby and Shaggy, in an uncommon air of bravery, headed towards the large, ornate staircase positioned at the center of the mansion. Fred had only taken a few steps inside and was currently examining an old photograph, a flashlight matching Velma's casting a harsh light on a decades-old memory.

She held her own flashlight in hand and clicked it on and off. On and off.

Suddenly there was a light whoosh of air and Daphne felt something behind her. She didn't turn around, knowing there wasn't anything to see. There never was.

A scream clawed at her throat, trying to force its way out, but she clamped it down. She didn't need any of the gang thinking she had gone crazy and vocalizing her fears would do just that. Instead, she bit down on the flair of panic rising in her chest and stepped inside.

Immediately a wave of goosebumps crawled up her arm in painful pricks. Still without looking, she closed the door behind her and made a deliberate step closer to where Fred was standing.

Click on. Click off. Click on. Click off.

"I'm going to see if they had a library or office," Velma said, moving the beam of her flashlight to a hallway on her right. "Most of the books out here are just for display. Maybe a personal library of some sort can give us insight into who lived here."

Lives, Daphne wanted to correct her friend, not _lived_. Just because there was no longer a body didn't mean someone wasn't still around.

"Good idea," Fred replied, setting the picture frame down and moving onto the fireplace.

 _"Wrong!_  "something yelled inside her, and Daphne quickly moved the picture back to its original shelf, the air instantly lightening just a little.

"I think Shag and Scoob went upstairs, so Daphne and I will take the left side of the house." Daphne looked up from the picture frame to see Fred watching her, eyes watchful. "Is that okay?"

It took her a long moment to respond, gauging how her body reacted to the idea. Finally, not feeling like Fred's suggestion would make anything worse, she nodded.

As Fred led the way, he occasionally glanced back with what Daphne assumed was his attempts at subtly checking that she was fine. No matter how hard Daphne tried to hide her uneasiness, Fred could always tell when something was wrong with her.

It would have been the perfect opportunity to speak up, to tell him they needed to leave, but as they passed the stairs, a strange sensation came over her. Daphne could have sworn she heard the sound of footsteps running by them. A moment later she caught the scent of a man's cologne. Daphne knew it wasn't Fred's, who always managed to smell like a combination of motor oil and licorice.

Throat going dry, Daphne rushed past her companion and into the first room she came upon. The faster they got through here, the sooner they could leave.

She clicked on her light and was looking through an old china cabinet when she felt something land on her shoulder. Letting out a shout of surprise, she spun around to find Fred, arm outstretched and face alarmed. She tried to put up a mask, wave away her behavior as an anomaly.

But Fred wasn't one to dismiss anything. In less than a second he was leaning down and placing a hand on Daphne's shoulder. A million excuses came to mind for her behavior, but as always, Fred cut right to the chase. "What's wrong?" he asked. Not is _something_ wrong, but _what's_ wrong, as if he would automatically believe whatever she had to say.

"We need to leave. Now." The words came out of Daphne in a breathy rush. She hadn't intended to say them, had fully meant to brush off his concerns and say everything was fine. But everything was not fine. She wasn't fine. This house wasn't fine.

Something was seriously wrong here.

Daphne expected Fred to ask additional questions, but instead he gazed her right in the eyes and said, "Everything is going to be okay." Then, without removing his one hand, he slipped an arm around her shoulder and led her out of the room.

Side-by-side, they walked through the mansion and collected their friends. No one questioned anything until after Fred had started the ignition of the Mystery Machine and they were on their way home.

"So what happened?" Shaggy asked.

Fred glanced at Daphne briefly, who shook her head, then said, "Something doesn't feel right with the story Marty Gunther gave us. I'm going to have a chat with him tomorrow."

There was a brief pause, then the sound of scrambling as Shaggy popped his head into the front seat between Fred and Daphne. He looked between the two of them a few times before sighing. "Daph, you got one of your feelings again, huh?"

"Feelings?" Daphne frowned, pretending not to know what he was talking about. Most already saw her as the dumb one of the group. Maybe she could fake her way out of this and they would eventually forget anything had happened.

Unfortunately, Shaggy didn't appear convinced by her act as he gave her a look that said she wasn't fooling anyone. "You know," he said, before wiggling his fingers. " _Feelings..._ like when you knew something was up with the housekeeper guy."

"The innkeeper?" Daphne clarified, brows furrowing. She hadn't thought anyone, save maybe Freddie, had noticed that. And if Shaggy noticed, that meant Velma had definitely noticed as well.

She turned to her friend, knowing how Velma never believed in anything that didn't have concrete facts to back it up. "Did you notice too?" she asked, voice small.

The short brunette was digging in her bag and didn't look up as she responded. "You are quite the phenomena, Daphne. I'm lucky to get to study all of these events up close. Most would only dream of seeing firsthand what you can do."

"What I can d..." she trailed off as Velma pulled a notebook from her bag and opened it on her lap. Inside were pages and pages of Velma's neat, precise handwriting. And most of the notes were about _Daphne_. There were quick jots about their case last week, and even a few sparse writings that dated back to even before Daphne herself had noticed anything unusual happening.

She opened her mouth to speak and found herself unable to. She was shocked, but unlike the mansion where she had felt cold and on edge, this shock was good - surprising and warm. "Oh," she managed to get out. 

At the small noise she made, Fred reached down and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "We'll figure it out, Daph," he said, taking his eyes off the road for a split second to give her a comforting smile.

Velma paused in her writing to look over at the pair's entwined hands, smirked, then wiggled her fingers at Daphne like Shaggy had done earlier. It was a very un-Dinkly gesture and Daphne would have laughed if the situation weren't so serious. "I have a few theories, but I'm still working on some possible correlations I've discovered so far. This new data set should help."

"Feeries?" Scooby asked, popping his head between Velma and Daphne, resting his head on Daphne's shoulder.

Shaggy patted the pup on the head and grinned. "Yeah, Scoobers. With Velma on the job, it'll be no time at all before we get to the bottom of this."

Daphne gave Shaggy an appreciative smile before settling down in her seat and closing her eyes, listening to the sound of Velma's pencil moving across the paper.

It was a familiar and comforting sound. One that meant there was hope. Potential answers.

Before that night, Daphne had doubted her friends. She'd thought they'd think she was going insane or making things up. Daphne realized now though that she had nothing to fear. Solving mysteries, especially those of the supernatural persuasion, was what they did best. Everything would be okay and they would figure it out like they did everything else. _Together._

**Author's Note:**

> It was kind of a last minute decision to write this, so it's rougher than I would have liked and it's not beta'd. But I was feeling inspired by the idea in your letter of exploring a possible "sixth sense" that Daphne has. I really loved the idea and before I knew it I had this little ficlet. Despite its rough-around-the-edges nature, I hope it somewhat filled your need.


End file.
